Portable conveyer



Reissued Dec. l1, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFF1cE.

HARRY-Ha BARBER, AURORAILLINOI1S, ASSIGNOR TOrBARBER-GREENE COMFANY,

OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

, PORTABLE CONVEYER.

original No. 1,589,091, dated .Tune 15, 1926, Serial No. 260,934, 1ed` November 4, 1918, Application for` reissue filed May 7, 1928. Serial No. 275,946.

. This invention'relates to a conveyer designed toy be mounted and operated a portable unit and adapted for a wide varietyof uses, and it is among the objects of this 1n- .yention to provide a simplified mounting for the boom whereby the same may be rolled or wheeled from place to place and turned in an exceedingly small area, and in which the conveyer drive is unaifected by variations in the inclination of the boom.

'I he particular structure illustrated in connection with this invention comprises broadly a two-wheeled, tiltable mounting or support which can be'readily turned or shifted in a small coal yard or the like and in which the two-wheeled support may roll and tilt during the raising or lowering of the boom in cases where it is desired to maintain the noseor .the loading end at a predetermined point and without4 affecting the Conveyer drive and in which the nose of the boom can` be lowered in a pit below'the horizontal supporting plane of the mounting. Y c

The conveyer also embodies a novel conveyer boom. In addition, further advan unit embodying this invention.

`Figure 2 is a transverse section on a larger scale showing details of the conveyor frame and also of the conveyer belt and rollers on which it is mounted for travel.

Figure 3 is a detail plan view showing the form of joint vby which the frame sections are detachably connected.`

Figure l is aperspective view of'a liub ospider .used in constructing the belt rollers. Figure 5' is an end elevation of a completed roller showing the spider inserted inA the tubular rim. f

' Figure G is a diagrammaticside elevation illustrating the mode of usel of the type of conveyer to which this invention relates, and including a carriage in the form of a portable tower from which the conveyer frame may be adjustably supported .at various angles to bring its discharge or delivery end at eX- actly the right height.

Figure 7 isa detail plan view, partly in section, to illustrate certain featuresof the tower shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 illustrates a modied form of carriage for a tower or other support for a portable conveyer of this type. y

Figure 9 is a detail plan view showing the wheel mounting of the carriage shown in Figure 8:

Figure 10 is a detail. elevation of the part illustrated in Figure 9.

The conveyer illustrated in the drawings consists briefly of a frame provided at its opposite ends with head and tail pulleys respectively and with -a conveyer belt arranged to run over said pulleys, together with suitable gearing for applying power to drive the belt. The frame may be mounted either' horizontally for merely transferring material from one point to another in horizontal direction or, as is more frequently the case.l may be supported obliquely so that the conveyer belt is shown at l with its upper ply arranged to run off from a headpulley or driving drum 2 and over a tail pulley 3 at the opposite end of the frame. The frame consists of two parallel side members formed as steel trusses whose upper chord 4 and lower chord 5 may be formed by standard steel angle bars and connected together by lacing composed of short sections of pipe -or tubing 6, whose extreme ends arefiattened and securedto the vertically extending parts of the angles 4.

and 5, as by rivets 7 indicated in Figures l and 2. This construction makes a very stiff; and at the same time a very light forni of truss which may be rapidly and economically assembled. These side frames or trusses are transversely connected at suitable intervals bycross members such as the angle bars 8 and .9, seen in Figure 2, and crossedpairs of di les agonals in both the upper and lower panels of the cross frame will secure the latter against collapse. i

In addition to the diagonal lacing members 6, the side frames are provided with vertical angle bars 11 arranged in the same vertical planes as the cross bars 8, so that-diagonal braces 12 may be connected to these members for reinforcing the box like frame thus formed for the conveyer. v

Preferably these conveyer frames are made up of standard units, and Fio'ure 1 illustrates an assembly of the three difarent units com-, prising a standard drive end, A, in which the head pulley 2 is carried, a standard discharge end B, by which the tail pulley 3. is carried, and a standard intermediate section C, which `is the portion of the frame shown between the joints D and E, at which it is connected with the drive section A- and discharge sectionB, respectively. To simplify the assembly of these sections, the end' portions 4a and 5, of

I the longitudinal angle members, are offset at one end of each standard section to the extent indicated in Figure 3, so that they may lap within the endportions of the corresponding members 4 and 5 of the next section and can be,c0nnected or splicedthereto by fastening bolts 13. lThis permits as many intermediate` sections C to be inserted between a. pair of end sections A and B as may be needed to produce ka conveyer of the desired length.w It will be obvious that to reduce the number of joints. as shown at D and E to a minimum, the

standard sections C may he manufactured in' a seriesof different lengths, such lengths be` ing preferably multiples of the minimum .l h ofsuch intermediate sections.

e belt 1 issupported on carrier rollers which are made up of elements illustrated in Fi 4 and 5. A castspider comprising .a hui portion .14 with radiating :mns 15 is first bored out approximately at the axis 'of its hb. Thron h the here lithe're is then inserted a care ly centered mandrel which is mounted on centers in a grinding machine, whereupon the ends of the radial. arms 15 are ground oil' just enough to malte the spider a tight drive fit for pipe or tubingl' which is to serve as the the rim or tire ofthe roller. ,The spider is then forced or driven longitudinally 'into a section of this tubing 17 tothe desired position, as indicated in Figure 5; owing to the elasticity of the tubular wall 17 it may thube stretched into an approximately polygonal formas indicated by the dotted line in Figure 5, but on account of the multiplicity of the radial arms 15 4the final form of the roller will be nearly enough cylindrical to serve all practical purposes. Figure2 shows rollers of this type mounted on the conveyer frame. At its opposite ends the cross-member 8 sup ports two brackets 18 in which are securedthe .ends of a bent tubular axle 19 for the rollers, the bends 2() of said axle being lodged in uptions joined by a coupling 22 so that before 'T the two sections are coupled together, the middle roller F and. one ofthe end rollersG can be entered on'the longersection of the I axle from opposite ends thereof, while the other roller G can be slid onto the short axle section from its outer end. 'The two sections are then secured together by the coupling 22 and lodged in the cradle bracket 21, where-4 upon the endbrackets 18 may be engaged with the end portions of the axle 19 ai d the elbows 23 applied thereto with theirgrease cups 24,

as shownin Figure 2.

Small apertures 25.'in the tubular axle 19 are positioned to register with the hub portions 14 of thev spiders in the rollers F and G "f5- for feeding tothe bearing surfaces the lubricant supplied through grease cups 24. This construction permits a large supply of lubritil.'

cant to be carried in the hollow )ournal or axle 19, thus minimizing trouble from inadequate lubrication. l r l To enable the belt 1 to hold/a load of material,.particu'larly bulk material, even when operating at a relatively stee incline,'it is provided'with flights 26 whic 1 are shown as barsof flat stock extending crosswise of the beltthro'ugh the middle portion of its width but not to its extreme edges, each bar 26being supported by an an le member 27 'whose width transversely o the belt is much less than that of the bar itself, so that the securing of its foot portion 28 to the belt will not` seriously interfere with the troughing thereof which is etlected bythe inclined rollers C shownin Figure 2. Preferably as indicated in Figure 7, the. end portionsl 29 of the bar 26 may be slightly bent with respect to the middle portion which is secured to the supporting'angle 27, such bending being in the direction eri-*travel of thebelt 1, and thus tending .to center the load of bulk material on the belt and prevent spillage from the edges of l. no'

the belt. lvithinthe: box-like conveyery frame there;` are mounted the obliquely-disposed boards 39 secured-.to the diagonal braces'12' and servingy shields to protect the lower ply ofthebeltiby sheddingY any spillage which may occur overthe. edges of the upper At the lower or return ply` of the belt 1, indicated atl* on Figure 2, the flightsl 26 are ofl course invertedE and'f'suspended from the lower surface of the belt. Guide. rails formed of inwardly-facing angle bars 31 are similar in construction to the rolls G, which y servefor troughing the upper ply of the belt 1. However, there being no middle roller corresponding to the `upper rollers F, the rolls H are shown as supported each upon an individual axle carried in a bracket 32 lodged upon the cross-member 9 of the frame.

'hen elect-rio power is available for driving a. conveyer of this type, it may be equipped with an electric motor which is preferably mounted at the receiving end of the frame, adjacent the drive pulley 2 and below the receiving hopper 33; such a motor 1s indicated at J in Figure l in dotted line, and a suitable gearing connecting the motor-to the pulley 2 is likewise indicated, such assembly of niotor and gearing being enclosed for protectionl from dust or injury by means of suitable steel plates 34, forming a housing under the re ceiving hopper 33 at this'end of 4the frame. With a motor of this type theA power is applied to the conveyer merely by an electric cable leading to a source of electrical energy, and the conveyer can be readily adjusted to any desired position of operation without interfering in any way with the power conneetlon. y

There electric power is not available and the conveyor is mounted on a carriage such as shown in Figure 6, a small gasoline engine maybe supported on the carriage itself, as indicated at 35, This carriage, which is shownmore in detail in Figure 7, consists of a pair 'of wheels 36 whose stub axles 37 are secured between transverse frame bars 3S,

in which there are also mounted the vertical' posts 39, connected at their upper ends by a suitable cross member 40 to form a tower. From the transverse frame members, 38 hori- '/:ontal braces 4l extend rearwardly to a cross beam 42 which is pivotally engaged in blocks 4B rigidly attached to the conveyor frame, of which only a fragment is shown in Figure T, By this means the conveyer frame is pivotally connected to the carriage frame only at the axis of the cross-beam 42, and as the crossbezim 42 is a considerable distance above -the ground, it is possibleto lower the nose of the boom into a pit below the horizontal surface of the ground. From the top of the tower composed of the uprights 39 and cross member 40, flexible cables 44 are shown extending around pulleys 45 suitably located on the eonveyer frame for minimizing the strain thereon from the pulleys 45 the cables 44 pass around other pulleys 46 and downto the drums 47 supported on the carriage frame and constituting a ,windlass which may be operated thru a'worm gear 48 and crank` 49 for raising or lowering the ldelivery end of the conveyor frame. Oblique tie rods 50 reaching from the top of the tower to the blocks 43 Serve to reinforce the carriage' frame. Throughout the raising or lowering adjustment of the conveyor frame with respect to the carriage frame, the axis of the cross-beam 42 will not change itsvrelation t'o the carriage frame, hence a counter-shaft carrying a belt wheel 51 may be journalled at this axis and power transmitted thru said counter\ shaft by means of a belt 5:2 .from the engine and a second belt 53 to the drive pulley 2 of the conveyor, and the relation of these driving elements will remain undisturbed throughout the adjustment of position of the conveyor frame, and the belt l thereon. By furnishing the receiving end of the conveyor Vframe with a caster wheel 54 the entire assemblage can be read-ily moved about for use at any desired place. v

An important feature -of the conveyor re sides in the fact that if the nose of the boom has been positioned to receive material from a car or truck shown in Figure 6, it is possible to raise or lower the boom without materially disturbing the nose.l Assuming that the nose has been anchored in position, and the rear part of the boom is elevated. As the boom is elevated, the rod 42 that pivotally connected the boom with the braces 41 will he elevated and moved forwardly, and such braces 4l will be caused to assume an inclined position and also move forwardly. This movement ofthe braces will cause the wheels 30 to roll o1' advance and the vertical posts "i or mast 39 to tilt. Due to the tiltable and rolling cl'iaracteristics of the two-wheeled truck, the same can adjust itself to variations in the elevation of the boom in order that the nose thereof may be maintained at a predetermined point.

It willbe evident that the two-wheeled mounting permitsthe eonveyer to be turned and shifted in a very small area,` a feature which isgreatly desired in small coal yards or in places oflimited movement. In addi-- tion tothe simplicity of the structure, which greatly reduces thecost, the two-wheeled sup port is adapted to tilt and roll during the raising and lowering or' the boom, provided the nose or loadingf end ofl the boom is anchored at a predetermined point. This feature of Construction is especially advair tageous when the conveyor is used for unloading coal from a gondola car having a bottom hopper, since the nose' of the boom can be maintained at its position under ,the hopper while the rear end can be raised or lowered as desired. F urthern'iore, in addi.- tion to the raising and lowering of the boom without materially moving the'nose thereof, it is also possible to transversely shift the conveyer ifdesired In brief, the conveyer involving this invention is exceedingly simple and the important advantage of the simplicity resides not only in the reduction in the cost of manufacture but `also in the fact that it greatly increases the mobility of its tributed in. a. pile or piles, it is frequently convenient to be able Ito keep the receiving end 0f the cenveyer at 4suoli receiving point and gradually shift the delivery end. For this purpose a modification of the carriage shown in Figureis shown in Figures 9 and 10, as consisting in vmounting the wheels 36 on very short stud axles vertically swiveled as between plates 55 carried at the Yend'of the frame members 38; the block 56 from which. the stub aXle projects, is provided with two arms 57 and 58, respectively, each terminating..

in an eye. For ordinary travel of the carriage in direction longitudinal with respect to the conveyer frame, the wheels will be locked at a position shown in-full line in Figure 8, by

the insertion of a ylocking pin 59 in apertures in the plate 55, and engaging the eye of the' arm 58, as indicated in Figure. 9, but for adjusting the wheels to extend transversely of the carriage, asindicated i-n dotted lines 1n 4Figure 8, the arms 57 may be swung against the frame members 38 so as topermit insertion of the locking pin 59 thru apertures 60 in the plate to engage the eyes at the end of the'arms 57 This permits the wheel 36 `to travel in :an arc about a center` located under the receiving hopper 33 a'sto such a position-of the conveyer as is indicatedin dotted outline in Figure 8, for distributing the material delivered by it into a semicircular pile or intoa series of adjacent piles. It will be obvious that such adjustment of theconveyer involves the expenditure of considerably less effort than if it must be wheeled back and forth'longitudinally for shiftingA the position of its discharge end.-

I am aware lthat many changes may be made, and numerous details of construction may be varied through a. wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, Votherwise than necessitated by the priorart. y

I claim as my invention y Y 1. In a portable conveyer comprising a longitudinally, extending .frame 'composed of trusses and upper and lower Vtransverse members connecting the upper and lower chords of the trusses, respectively, head and tail pulleys carried by the frame at 'its opposite ends, an endless conveyer belt on said pullelys, the upper ply running over the upperA transverse members and the lower ply returning between said upper and lower transverse members, diagonal transverse braces extending downwardly from the'upper transverse n'umbers, and shields carried by said braces over the lower ply of the belt.

2. A portable conveyer comprising in com.- bination a longitudinally extending frame with head and tail pulleys at its opposite ends supporting an Lendlessfconveyer belt, a

carriage consisting of atransverse frame with laterally' spaced uprights and axles with carrying wheels at the ends of the transverse frame, the conveyer frame being, inclined between said uprights with its lower endfresting on the ground; suitable tackle supported by the uprights and connected to the conveyer .frame for raising and lowering the latter, a

by the uprights and serving to suspend the conveyer frame between them' with its `receiving end resting on the ground, and bracing means extending in approximately horizontal directionrom the transverse frame member to pivotal connection with the conveyerframe intermediate' its receiving end and said transverse member.

4. In the combination defined in claim 3,

oblique braces extendinv from the upper portions of the uprights substantially to the pivotal axis'at which the horizontal braces -are attached tothe conve er frame. 5. In the structure defined in claim 2, sai cross-beam being pivotally attached to the 'conveyer frame.

. 6.V In the structure defined in claim 2, the cross-beam extending beyond'the frame, and a stepped pulley journaled thereon; a power device mounted on the carriage, power-transmitting means from the power device to one ofthe steps of said pulley, and another power-transmitting means from another step of the stepped pulley to the head pulley at the power-receiving end of the conveyer.

llll

7. In the `structure defined in clain 2, the

axles ofthe carrying wheels being swivelled to the transverse frame'ona vertically pivvoted block; a pair of plates overhanging the .end of rthe transverse frame, supporting means for pivoting the block, a pair of arms projecting from the block, each arm termi-4 nating in an eye, and a locking pin for engaging the said eye, arranged to lock one of thearms to the said overhanging plates,

thereby securing the carrying Ywheels inl planes parallel to each other, vor in a parallel to thetransverse frame.l

8. ,The combinationof a transversely Hexible conveyer belt, troughing. rollers engaging plane "flights transversely mounted on the belt se-i cured only to the middle portion thereof with their' laterally extending portions spaced away from the belt surface.

, 9. The combination of a transterselyflexible conveyer belt, troughing rollers vengaging and upbending its marginal portions, and flights transversely mounted on the belt secured only to the" middle portion thereof, the

lateral 'extent of said flights stopping shortk of the extreme marginal portions of the belt.

10. The combination of a transversely ilexible conveyer belt, troughing rollers engaging and upbending its marginal portions, and iights transversely mounted on the belt, each comprising a bar spaced from the belt surface, and a foot member supporting said 4bar and secured only to the middle portion of the belt.

11. The combination of a transversely flexible conveyer belt, troughing rollers engaging and' upbendin its marginal portions and flights transverse y mounted on the belt secured only to the middle portion thereof, guiding means for the return ply of the belt comprising obliquely disposed rollers supporting the marginal portions of the belt, and a pair of longitudinal guide rails of angle section opening inwardly and opposite each otherformengaging opposite endsv of the flights on the tbelt.

v12. In a conveyer truck, an inclined boom adapted to have one end located at a'predctermined point, a two-wheeled support pivotally connected to said boom above the nose Y thereof and movably responsive to variations in the inclinationof said boom for maintaining said'end at said predetermined point.

13. In a conveyer truck, an inclined boom adapted to have one end located at a predetermined point, a two-wheeled support, and a member having a pivotal connection with said boom above the nose thereof and connected to said supportfor causing said sup-v port to tilt during the raising or lowering of the boom for maintaining said end at said predetermined point.

14. In a conveyer, a shiftable fulcrum member, a conveyer boom mounted thereon, means for raising and lowering said boom, connections between said boom and fulcrum member, said connections being pivotally attached to said boom above the nose thereof for shifting said fulcrum member during the r( -ising and lowering of said boom, a conveyer on said boom, and driving mechanism for said conveyerextending adjacent said'connections for maintaining an effective drive for all inclinations of the boom.

15. Mechanism for supporting a conveyer A boom at various inclinations and for transversely shifting its discharge and comprising a tiltable support having a single pair of adjustable rolling members, and a brace connecting an intermediate pomt of said boom with said support whereby said support may ad just itself for various inclinationsof the boom withoutdisturbing its lower end.

1G. The combination with an inclined conveyer boom adapted to have its lower end positioned at a predetermined point, of a longitudinally and transversely rolling support for the boom, means on said support for varying the inclination of the boom, and pivotal connections between an intermediate point of said boom and support effective during the varying of the inclination of the boom for causing a tilting and rolling movement of said support without materially disturbing the lower end of said boom. l

17. In a portable conveyer, a two-wheeled truck, a conveyer boom thereon, cable means for raising and lowering said boom, and a connection between said truck and boom above the nose thereof, said connection causing said two-wheeled truck t0 roll and tilt during the raising and lowering of said boom.

18. Ina portable conveyer, a two-wheeled truck including a mast, a conveyer boom thereon, a pulley on said mast, a cable connected to said boom and trained over said pulley, means on said truck for operating said cable, and a brace extending from sai truck and pivotally connected to said boom above the nose thereof for allowing said mast to tilt during the raising and lowering of'said boom. e l

19. In a conveyer, a two-wheeled standard, a boom, cable means for supporting the boom upon said standard for raising and lowering the same with respect thereto, braces extending from said two-wheeled standard and pivotally connected to-said boom above the nose thereof and upon one side of said standard whereby said standard may roll and tilt during the raising and lowering of the boom.

20. In a portable conveyer, a carriage including spaced tiltable standards, a boom betweensaid standards, a tackle supported by said standards for raising and lowering said boom, a brace extending from said carriage and pivot/ally connected to said boom at a suitable elevation above the ground, whereby the nose of the boom may be lowered into a pit below the surface of the ground, a convcyer on said boom, power means on said cari Ariage and a driving connection between saidr power means and conveyer, said driving conabove'the nose thereof, said brace being` adapted for tilting said standard during the l elevation or lowering of said boom.

22. In a conveyer truck, an inclined boom susceptible of having its nose located at a pre- 4 determined point, n two Wheeledsupport, means for raising and lowering said boom,

1 and a brace extending from said truck and pivotally connected to said boom above the 1 0 nose thereof whereby said nose may descend l 'HARRY H` BARBER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION;

Reissue Patent No. 17,160.f

AGranted December l1, 1928,y to C l i HARRY n. immun.

lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed Aspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page 5, line 63, e'li'm 15; for the word "and'.I read "end"; 'and that the seid Letters Patentsshould be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the fesse in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th dy of- March, A. D. 1929. v

t (sen) v M'TIJ. I x: i Acting Commissioner of Patents.

above'the nose thereof, said brace being` adapted for tilting said standard during the l elevation or lowering of said boom.

22. In a conveyer truck, an inclined boom susceptible of having its nose located at a pre- 4 determined point, n two Wheeledsupport, means for raising and lowering said boom,

1 and a brace extending from said truck and pivotally connected to said boom above the 1 0 nose thereof whereby said nose may descend l 'HARRY H` BARBER.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION;

Reissue Patent No. 17,160.f

AGranted December l1, 1928,y to C l i HARRY n. immun.

lt is hereby certified that error appears in the printed Aspecification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page 5, line 63, e'li'm 15; for the word "and'.I read "end"; 'and that the seid Letters Patentsshould be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the fesse in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 19th dy of- March, A. D. 1929. v

t (sen) v M'TIJ. I x: i Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

